Conventional electronic weaponry includes, for example, hand guns, batons, shields, projectiles, and area protection devices among other apparatus generally suitable for ensuring compliance with security and law enforcement. In an important application of electronic weaponry, terrorists may be stopped in assaults and prevented from completing acts involving force to gain unlawful control of facilities, equipment, operators, innocent citizens, and law enforcement personnel. In other important applications of electronic weaponry, suspects may be arrested by law enforcement officers, and the cooperation of persons in custody may be maintained by security officers. An electronic weapon generally includes a circuit that generates a stimulus signal and one or more electrodes. In operation, for example to stop a terrorist act, the electrodes may be pressed against the person to be stopped or are propelled from the electronic weaponry toward the person to be stopped or controlled. After contact or impact, a pulsing electric current is conducted between the electrodes sufficient for interfering with the person's use of his or her skeletal muscles. Interference may include involuntary, repeated, intense, muscle contractions at a rate of 5 to 20 contractions per second.
In many countries, government officers are accountable to citizens as to appropriate use of force against suspects. It is desirable to improve the data communication capability and the user interface of electronic weaponry to facilitate data gathering and data analysis. It is also desirable to facilitate collection of audio and/or video data that would help to describe and/or explain particular uses of electronic weaponry should those uses be called into question by those critical of the electronic weaponry operator's choices related to those uses.
Many forms of electronic weaponry are powered from limited electrical supplies such as batteries. Conservation of battery power results in extended use of the weaponry between required recharging of the batteries. It is desirable to use the electrical energy provided by the battery in a more efficient manner to facilitate audio and video recording.
Without systems and methods according to various aspects of the present invention, wide and effective use of audio and/or video recording in conjunction with use of electronic weaponry will not occur. Use of electronic weaponry may consequently be limited. Without electronic weaponry, injuries of law enforcement officers, civilians, suspects, and terrorists will continue with fatalities and with the loss of the opportunity to interrogate civilians, suspects, and terrorists.